bison

Oh well. Never mind. I finally lost him...

I'm exhausted... I-I need to find a place to catch a breather.

Bison leans against a tree and thinks about everything that has happened today, in an attempt to come up with anything that could explain this absurd turn of events.

But right now, he isn't very keen on thinking too hard.

Perhaps the chilly New Year's Eve breeze has left his mind completely blank.

Perhaps the strange events that unfolded throughout the day have numbed his thought process.

Or perhaps... he simply doesn't want to think, and just wants to lean against the tree.

That is, until a ball comes tumbling toward his feet, rousing him from his daze.

Hey, buddy. Kick the ball back over here, will you?

Hm?

Hello? What're you blanking out for? Wanna join us?

There are no goals here, and barely any grass... How would we even play?

You just play.

But there are no lines on the ground. How do we keep score? How do we determine if anyone's breaking the rules?

Rules? We don't care about rules.

Bison suddenly recalls that it's been a very long time since he played football.

His father forced him to join the family business before he had even graduated. And he had to sacrifice a lot for it.

He lifts his head up and gazes at the child in the distance waiting for him to kick the ball back.

They have no grass field to play on, but a dirt pit is more than enough.

They have no goals, but a couple of tin cans will do the trick.

They kick erratically, and their play is all over the place, but what does it matter as long as it's fun?

Bison suddenly realizes that it has been a very long time since he last did anything just for fun.

Pffhaha––

(Is this the answer? The answer to everything?)

(Never mind. It doesn't matter. I've got something more important to deal with.)

Hey, count me in!

Then kick the ball back over here!

Kid, I used to be my school's ace player. Are you sure you can catch it?

In the end, he's still a kid...

Hey! How come it took you so long to say anything? What's he doing?

Alright, our job here is done.

I'm heading back.

Hey, you're the only one there. Tell us what's going on! Hey!

I'll see you later. I need to report to the client.

Hey—

Mr. Eurill, you sure gave us a difficult problem.

Still, we managed to successfully finish the job.

So he's playing football, huh?

It's been years since he played. And with a couple of kids not much younger than him. Haha.

I know, I know. He's still a child... Thank you for your work, ladies. I will come visit and bring all of you gifts in due time.

...Why didn't I tell him myself?

Good question... I wish I could've.

Alas, I couldn't...